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Friday, October 25, 2013

Police chief calls urgent meeting after Ashkelon mob hit

Chief of Israel Police Yohanan Danino convened a status
meeting Friday with the heads of various police and intelligence units,
following the assassination Thursday of a senior member of the Domrani crime
family in Ashkelon.

The purpose of the meeting, according to reports, was to
assess the situation regarding the current war in organized crime hits and
activities across the country. The police believe the assassination Wednesday
will be met with a spate of revenge attacks, which may instigate a series of
attempted killings and bombings among organized crime families.

The explosion struck a private vehicle while it was in
motion at around 3 p.m., Thursday near the intersections of Zionism and
Montifiore streets in central Ashkelon, close to a school. The two victims,
both in their 40s, were severely burned and suffered internal injuries. They
were evacuated to Barzilai Hospital, where Bitton later succumbed to his
injuries while the other remained in critical condition.

The blast rattled the surrounding neighborhood. One witness
told Ynet news he initially thought it was a suicide bombing or rocket attack
and that “the buildings were shaking.”

Police said the investigation into the killing will be
handled by the recently established Lahav 433 unit — the organized
crime-fighting body also known as the ‘Israeli FBI.’ The unit was created by
Danino earlier this year to deal specifically with organized crime activities,
including several high-profile killings just this year.

In July, two people were killed after their car exploded
when they were driving on Highway 5 near Petah Tikva in a suspected hit
connected with the criminal underworld.

In February, there was a surge in attempted murders of
leading figures in Israel’s organized crime scene, especially in Rishon Lezion.
Two people were killed when a car exploded in Rishon Lezion in late February.

Two weeks earlier, a car exploded in southern Tel Aviv,
injuring two people, in what police suspect was a criminal underworld attack.
Two brothers were wounded, both of whom had criminal records.

In January, a car exploded next to a bus in central Tel Aviv
in what was reported as an attempted mob hit. At least seven people were
lightly injured in that blast. Reports indicated that the explosion was an
assassination attempt on Nissim Alperon. Alperon, a member of a prominent crime
family, escaped with only scratches.

“Israel Police treats these incidents with utmost gravity
and invests great effort and resources in investigating them,” a police
spokesperson told Maariv in July. “In addition, law enforcement units are
operating to prevent them, and more than a few such attacks have been foiled.”

“It should be noted that serious crimes of this type demand
deep and complex investigations, patience, and long-term investment. In Lahav
433, a unit has been established recently whose purpose is to deal with the use
of explosives, with an emphasis on prevention,” said the source.